[wma152]

Originally Posted by Beeker2211

When? When does this happen?? This isn't Mumbai, alright. Most crime caused by thugs is to another thug, maybe nicking a GPS or Cell Phone but I would say that your scenario happens maybe once a decade at most.

Look in the hartford crime thread, there were 2 in a couple of weeks span. I m sure there are a lot more that's not reported. Like people who got robbed and harassed in my company in downtown hfd.

Bottomline, shady people do shady things when the opportunity exists.

That's why nobody walks alone in hartford late at night. They know there's a lot of places to hide and get away in downtown hartford.

You can practically run a couple of blocks from downtown hartford and you are in the ghetto, easy get away.

[MassMatt]

Originally Posted by mels

1. You must not leave the suburbs EVER if you think downtown Hartford can't be considered "relatively safe." I am a woman and have no problem going downtown by myself and meeting up with friends at (GASP!) night. I travel often for work (solo most times) and don't find downtown Hartford any different safety-wise than other mid-sized cities.

2. Blue Back Square is fine, however IMO Cheesecake Factory and other typical chain places are far less interesting than what is offered downtown. You could pick up the entire Blue Back development and drop it in Anytown, USA. While nice, it is soulless.

Could not agree more with this comment. I was originally interested in WH because of Blue Back Square. After seeing it, i was unimpressed. Its very pleasing to the eye, but lacks any sign of character. Just a bunch of chain restaurants and shoppes...yawn...WH itself has a ton to offer and i think i'll be happy there.

[mels]

Originally Posted by wma152

No, what's killing downtown hartford is the shady people and cars roaming the streets of downtown hartford, people getting bothered and harassed and the need to worry about your safety.

Yeah, I know you are a superwoman and feel completely at ease, when you are in one of those empty side streets and see a group of thugs coming your direction.

Now I am "superwoman" because I am a woman who dares to go into Hartford for dinner? Are you aware that many people do this, men and women, every single night? Were you to venture into Hartford, you would see restaurants have customers, bars have patrons, events go on at the Bushnell, Hartford Stage, Real Art Ways...life moves on every night, day after day. As I said, I use common sense, as 99% of the population does. I am not an idiot who is walking through desolate streets and parking garages at 3 in the morning. I use average street smarts and I go about my life like most people in this country. I would rather take the minor chance of being mugged than live as a paranoid suburban recluse. Again, I am truly sorry that you feel this way.

I just had a great dinner the other night at Firebox (one of my favs in Hartford) and it saddens me that you are missing out on that food! Maybe now it is light later into the evening you will feel safer venturing out. In all seriousness GO! The food is great. Then try to keep yourself out of Hartford for dinner after that. Also, I don't know if anywhere else does, but Trumbull Kitchen offers valet parking nightly. You don't even have to walk through the streets of Hartford to grab a bite at a solid restaurant.

[wma152]

Originally Posted by mels

Now I am "superwoman" because I am a woman who dares to go into Hartford for dinner? Are you aware that many people do this, men and women, every single night? Were you to venture into Hartford, you would see restaurants have customers, bars have patrons, events go on at the Bushnell, Hartford Stage, Real Art Ways...life moves on every night, day after day. As I said, I use common sense, as 99% of the population does. I am not an idiot who is walking through desolate streets and parking garages at 3 in the morning. I use average street smarts and I go about my life like most people in this country. I would rather take the minor chance of being mugged than live as a paranoid suburban recluse. Again, I am truly sorry that you feel this way.

I just had a great dinner the other night at Firebox (one of my favs in Hartford) and it saddens me that you are missing out on that food! Maybe now it is light later into the evening you will feel safer venturing out. In all seriousness GO! The food is great. Then try to keep yourself out of Hartford for dinner after that. Also, I don't know if anywhere else does, but Trumbull Kitchen offers valet parking nightly. You don't even have to walk through the streets of Hartford to grab a bite at a solid restaurant.

I been to downtown hartford late at night numerous times, and will continue to go if I need to. But that does not make it a safe place, nor does it take away the fact it's close to the ghetto and shady people and cars roam the streets of downtown hartford.

[Stylo]

Every city has some shady characters roaming around. Doesn't mean you're going to get shot. Downtown Hartford seems fine to me. If anything, it could benefit from a little more foot traffic for the feeling of safety. Unfortunately many suburban people feel the way you do, which holds CT cities back.

[jane_sm1th73]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Every city has some shady characters roaming around. Doesn't mean you're going to get shot. Downtown Hartford seems fine to me. If anything, it could benefit from a little more foot traffic for the feeling of safety. Unfortunately many suburban people feel the way you do, which holds CT cities back.

Stylo, respectfully, most people do not want to offer themselves up as guinea pigs to test somebody else's pet theory. You and mels like downtown Hartford at 1 AM? Live it up! I'd recommend taking some pictures and posting them under a new thread, for example, "Sissies! Downtown Hartford at 1 AM - see what you're missing!"

In fact, EVERYBODY who goes to downtown Hartford late at night should do this. 'Twould give us sissies a right proper case of the "keeping up with the Joneses", lol! To begin changing public opinion, each responder is urged to post pictures and a narrative of his/her experiences a minimum of seven times. According to PR theory, it takes that many repetitions of a message to begin to get noticed. Source is Edward Bernays, considered by many to be the father of modern advertising.

Not kidding. This is how public opinion is shaped, at least according to NYC ad houses. (A little off the CT topic - whatever else you may think about NYC, it is the center of the universe in several disciplines, and you can't take that away. Advertising is one of the disciplines in which NYC has a claim to global supremacy.)

nb - I don't work in advertising/marketing/PR. And I dislike the costs, congestion and anonymity of NYC. So it's something like biting the bullet to give this credit where it is due, lol!

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by jane_sm1th73

Stylo, respectfully, most people do not want to offer themselves up as guinea pigs to test somebody else's pet theory. You and mels like downtown Hartford at 1 AM? Live it up! I'd recommend taking some pictures and posting them under a new thread, for example, "Sissies! Downtown Hartford at 1 AM - see what you're missing!"

In fact, EVERYBODY who goes to downtown Hartford late at night should do this. 'Twould give us sissies a right proper case of the "keeping up with the Joneses", lol! To begin changing public opinion, each responder is urged to post pictures and a narrative of his/her experiences a minimum of seven times. According to PR theory, it takes that many repetitions of a message to begin to get noticed. Source is Edward Bernays, considered by many to be the father of modern advertising.

Not kidding. This is how public opinion is shaped, at least according to NYC ad houses. (A little off the CT topic - whatever else you may think about NYC, it is the center of the universe in several disciplines, and you can't take that away. Advertising is one of the disciplines in which NYC has a claim to global supremacy.)

nb - I don't work in advertising/marketing/PR. And I dislike the costs, congestion and anonymity of NYC. So it's something like biting the bullet to give this credit where it is due, lol!

Whatever.

[mels]

Originally Posted by jane_sm1th73

Stylo, respectfully, most people do not want to offer themselves up as guinea pigs to test somebody else's pet theory. You and mels like downtown Hartford at 1 AM? Live it up! I'd recommend taking some pictures and posting them under a new thread, for example, "Sissies! Downtown Hartford at 1 AM - see what you're missing!"

In fact, EVERYBODY who goes to downtown Hartford late at night should do this. 'Twould give us sissies a right proper case of the "keeping up with the Joneses", lol! To begin changing public opinion, each responder is urged to post pictures and a narrative of his/her experiences a minimum of seven times. According to PR theory, it takes that many repetitions of a message to begin to get noticed. Source is Edward Bernays, considered by many to be the father of modern advertising.

Or, you can read my posts more carefully, where I said I usually go into Hartford for dinner at night. I am in my 30s now, I am too old for the 1 am bar scene Again, if you actually read my posts, I have stated I use common sense, as most of us do, and don't wander down desolate streets and parking garages at 3 am.

I do believe that if you are too afraid to head out to Hartford for dinner, then yes...you are paranoid and I am truly sorry that your fear has you locked up in your home. Does the thought of an evening out in downtown New Haven also scare you? How about Stamford? Are they perceived as "safer" in your mind?

[Off-beat]

Hartford's problem actually is the North End and other areas that aren't downtown, or at least the reputations of those places. Shady people and the homeless really do crouch in the Hartford Public Library- by the dozens, even in broad daylight, despite the relatively impressive appearance of the building.

Outside of that cramped area of downtown next to HPL and the area around the State Capitol, the city is shady, at least by a suburbanite's standards. And considering that CT is 90% suburbanite, that shady perception is the only one that counts. The North End really is only about a 3 or 4 minute walk from the downtown area. I used to work in downtown Hartford, and based on what I remember, I can see how it would be incredibly easy for a dumb suburban 17-year-old to take a wrong turn in their upper-middle-class sedan and wind up looking like Curious George in a shark tank, with few simple ways out.

If you keep your wits about you, then you'll be fine in most areas of the city outside of the North End, but that's exactly the issue with a lot of people- most people think they have their wits about them, when that's not actually the case. They overestimate their preparedness and take liberties. After all, there aren't exactly signs denoting strict boundaries between the rough areas of the city and the safer downtown areas. So while it isn't necessary to freak out and label Hartford as dangerous all around, it is true that people overestimate their level of awareness, and that does get them into trouble every now and then.

[Angelic_Avalon]

I was reading an article on the harford courant about some big sign in downtown. Their is a potential tower (800 apartments) being built on the corner of Ann Uccello and Asylum street Lot.

I love to see 600-700 feet tower replacing the City Place.